Vegetable loader



May 27, 1924.

B. o. CUDDIGAN l VEGETABLE LOADER 2 SheeLs-Sheet l Filed Dec. 29 1919Patented May 27, 1924,

rasant mairies..

'BRTHOLOMEW C). CUDDIGAN, OF W'ADENA, MINNESOTA., ASSIG'NOR TO ROBERT M.EASTMAN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOISi VEGETABLE LOADER.

Application led December 29, 1919,

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BAn'rrroLoMuw O. CUDDIGAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of lVadena, county of l/Vadena, and Stateof Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVegetable Loaders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ra machine for loading vegetables such aspotatoes or the like and may be used in combination with any suitabletype of digger whereby the vegetable products are deliveredautomatically to the loading machine where vthey are separated from thevines, or any adhering dirt and small stones, then conveyed to a cart orother receptacle. l

Among its salient objects are to provide a strong, durable light weightmachine that may be used with any type of vegetable digger; to provide amachine which effectively separates the dirt and vines from thevegetable, carrying olf the vine by a separate chute than that conveyingthe vegetable and causing the dirt to drop from the vegetables and thevines through the conveyors; to provide a machine which has an'endlessscreen-like elevator apron traveling below the elevator iiights whichcarry the vines and somewhat faster than the vine flights, allowing theforeigny material shaken from the vines to pass through and at the sametime preventing the yvegetables which are being conveyed upon the apronfrom-being bruised by the vine flights; to provide a novel type ofconstruction combining cheapness and a saving of power in operation andin general to rovide a machine of the character referrec to.

In the drawings: v

Fig. 'l is a side elevation'of the machine with parts omitted forclearness of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation with parts omitted and parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a-sectional detail taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 1, looking in thedirectionof the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, `looking inthe direction of the arrows. i

Referring in detail to the drawings, 1 is the main frame which is oftriangular con-` struction and comprises the angular shaped base members2 and 3, which are formed of chain is to take up the roady shocks.

Serial No. 347,999.

angle iron and have provided thereon bearings 4 and 5 which areseated'on the axle 6, upon which is rotatablymounted the ground wheels 7and 7 a. The ground wheels are provided with ratchet hubs 8, of wellknown construction, which permit the axle to turn only when the machineis advancing and prevents reverse action of the mechanisms. The forwardends of the frame members 2 and/3 are bent inwardly and are riveted to acasting or forging 9 of Av shape which terminates in the hook 10,whereby the machine-issecured to any suitable type of digger (notshown).

The frame members 2 and 3 are turned upward at the rear of the machineand are cross-braced at 11 and have secured to their upper endsl anglebars 12 and 13, which descend to the forward end'of 'the machine and areriveted or otherwise secured with the forward extensions of the framemembers v2 and 3, as shown at 14.

The angle barsv13 and l2 have similar bars 15 and 16 secured totheirupper edges, which furnish supports for the side boards 17 and 18. Thesesideboards, together with the angles 15 and `16 and the angle bars 12and 13 are securely mounted by bolts 01 rivets 19 and the channels 20and 21 are formedfby the angle bars -just described .and provide waysfor the endless chains22 and 23, which travel over the sprocket wheels24 and 25 on the shaft 26 and then down under the idlers 27 and 28, andup over the loose wheels 29 and 30 on the vfixed shaft 31 at the forwardend of the machine. y

Upon the chains 22 and 23=are securely bolted at regular intervalswooden bars or fiights 32, having wooden pegs or fingers 33. Fixedlysecured with' the axle 6isa sprocket wheel 34, which transmits rotarymotion through the endless chain 35, idlers 36 and 37 to the sprocketwheel 38 kon theV stub shaft 39. The purpose ofthis endless:`

The sprocket 384 is interchangeable,l making it possible to vary thespeed of lthe-zmecha nisms, according to soil conditions encountered inthe field. The sprocket wheel 38 through lthe chain `40 drives thesprocket 41, whichA is loosely mounted upon the shaftv 42. Upon thisshaft are also xedly mount ed the `sprockets 44, 45 and y43. Thesprocket 43 has a clutch arrangement yupon its hub, which cooperateswith the clutch portion upon the hub of the sprocket 42 and providesmeans of connecting up the drive, which is taken from the ground wheels,with the operating mechanisms oi the loader. rlhis clutch mechai'iisn'iis operated by means of the shifter 57.

Sprockets 44 and 45, combining with two lower idlers 46 and 47 mountedupon the shaft 43 carry the apronl 49, which is supported in the bottomof the elevator chute by the sprockets andV idlers at either end,l`together with the idlers 50 and' 51', thelatter being suitably. mountedunder theframes12 andy 13 onshaftsl 52 and 53 supported. by.- brackets54 and 55. Secondary supports. 56 carry the shaft 4S, on which the lowersprockets are mounted.

Corrugated cross bars 58 are bolted or rivetedto the lower partsof theanglebars 12and 13, andfurnish supports forl the slats 59 which areriveted or welded thereto and constitute the floor of the lower part ofthe elevator' chute. lt will be-uoted that this corrugated floor entendsonly a short way up the chute. At' the top of this corrugatedfloor atG0, the chute is open-bottomed except for the screen-like .ipron49,which travels upward over the sprockets andfidlers as previouslyexplained. This apron consists of` a series of small ironl rods Whichare bent to form a coarse screen and while allowing dirt or small stonesto screen therethrough, it re-v tains the vegetables `and cooperatingwith the liights 32, conveys' them into the hopper 61.

From the sprocket 43 'is driven the sprocket 62 through the chain 63.rllhe sprocket" 62is` mounted upon a shaft 26, upon which are alsomounted the sprockets 24v and 25 and bevel gear G7. Meshingwith'thebevel gear 67 is a bevelgear 7 O on the cross shaft 71, whichismounted in bearings 72 and 7 3. on

the frame member- 3 andinember 7 4, which` together withmember75'furn'1shes supports' for the cross conveyor 7G. rlhe cross con veyorcomprises anglebars 77 and78, secured with the angle bars 2 and 3, andthe upright members 74 and 75 respectively, whichv angle bars arefurther held in place byv the bars '79 and 80. At the outer extremitiesof the bars 77 and 78,*is journalled in suitable bearings 31v and 82,a'shaft 83, which has secured thereto sprockets 84 andv 85. Upon the Ysprockets 84 and 85y are endless conveyorv chains 86 and'87, which passdown upon the plate 61Z1 and-'then up over theidlers 88 andy 89andthrougli the guide channels; 90 and 91 formedby` the angle bars 77and 92 andthe angle barsZS'and 93,fthence to the sprocketsv 84 and 85.The angle bars 72, 92, 73 and` 93 are bolted or otherwise secured to theside boards 945 and which form the sidewalls of the conveyor chute. Theconveyor chains4 have secured thereto at regular intervals, woodencleats or flights 96 which cause the vegetables to advance over the4slatted lootn toms 97 secured to the corrugated bars 98. These bars areriveted or bolted to the angle bars 77 and 7S.

Motion is transmitted to the conveyor chains by the connection with theshaft 71 through the sprocket wheels 99, chain 100 and sprocket wheelson the shaft 83.

ln operation, the travel of the machine transmits a vibratory motion tothe bars 101 which causes separation of the vegetables from the vines,also shakingmloose any soil or other foreignsubstance and delivering thevepetables in a clean condition to the cross conveyor. As the vegetablesare deposited on the forward end' of the' elevator at A, theyv arecariedtogether with their vines upwardby means ofthecross flights orfingers, and after being shaken loose byY the bars 101, thevegetablesdrop upon. the apron 49 and are carriedupward with it in its travel,being assistedby vthe cross flights. lt will be noted that the sprocketsdriving the. cross flightsare-somewhat larger than those driving theapron.- rllherefore, the apron will travel somewhat faster,` therebypreventing bruising of the vegetables between the apron and the crossflights by moving the vegetables slightly faster than' the cross barswhich carry the vines.

In turning about or when' the machine Ais in transit', it is. desirableto disengage the operating mechanism by means-of the clutch member,previously explained. The vegetables, afterbeing deposited inthe hopper6.1 are fed along.y the slatted bottom` 97 of the cross conveyor bymeans of the wooden cleatsor cross bars 96,l toany suitable collector.,such as a' farm wagon or cart (not shown) l.

By using this machine with a digger, the vegetables, after. being: dug,may be separated from their" vines and. any dirt or foreign substanceVadhering thereto: They mayy then bey loaded onto al wagonV in oneoperation, thus obvfiating the necessity` of first digging, thenseparating` them from their vines and iinally loading them fortransportation.

l claim asimy invention:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a frameofy inclined vegetable shut'e at-tachedl thereto, said chute havingi airopen Abottom having substantially upright sides and channel membersextendingl below saidsides, endless driving members traveling-inthechannel members and spaced apart flights for elevating the vegetablevines bridging the endless driving members and moving therewith, anlendless screenlike apron ftravelingin any upward direction, furnishingbottom for the chute and elevating the vegetables which are separatedfrom thevines and peri'nittingI the loose dirt to be screenedtherethrough.

2.` In' a vegetable loader, the combination with a main frame, of atraveling vegetable carrier7 a traveling vine carrier and actuatingmechanism for moving said carriers at dierent speeds relative to eachother.

3. n a vegetable loader, the combination with a main frame of travelingvegetable carrier, a traveling vine carrier and actnating mechanism formoving said carriers at different speeds relative to each other,vibratory rods adapted to separate the vegetable from the vines Whilethe latter are being transported on the traveling carrier.

4. ln a vegetable loader, the combination with a main frame, of atraveling vegetable carrier comprising al screenlike apron, a travelingvine carrier consisting of two endless chains With bridging members orlights attached thereto, operative connection between both of saidmechanisms and the ground Wheels and means for operating themsimultaneously at dierent speeds.

BARTHOLOMEW O. CUDDIGAN.

